Everyone should be able to see a doctor and get the care they need, regardless of how much they earn. For too long, the cost of health care has had devastating effects on families across our nation. Like many Americans, health care is a deeply personal issue for me. Several years ago, my sister-in-law, Barb, was diagnosed with cancer.

For generations, Medicare and Social Security have been our nation’s solemn promises to our seniors: work hard, play by the rules and we will make sure you get the health care and retirement security you’ve earned. I believe all Americans should be able to retire with dignity and that means standing up for the programs that make it possible.

Americans across the heartland are weathering an unprecedented economic moment. This Spring, our economy flatlined as COVID-19 took its toll. Unemployment rose sharply to levels unseen since the Great Depression and our nation entered an economic recession. The path forward may be difficult, but it is pivotal that we get Americans back to work.

In order to best secure our national interests and protect the American people, as well as our allies in the international community, we must ensure that our troops are the best-trained, best-equipped and best-prepared in the world. With the Rock Island Arsenal in the Quad-Cities, the Illinois Air National Guard unit based outside of Peoria and major aerospace employers in Rockford, our Congressional District is vital to our country’s defense. I am proud that Northwest and Central Illinois plays this important part in ensuring our national security.